The Appalachian September 11, 2020

The Appalachian

September 11, 2020

Pandemic fitness Adapting to a world without gyms Ansley Puckett | A&C Editor

JESSE BARBER

The sounds of birds chirping, dogs barking and shoes hitting pavement have become the new soundtrack to Boone’s fitness scene, replacing the closing and opening of gym doors.

After Gov. Roy Cooper closed gyms to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Boone residents were forced to look for other ways to stay active at home during quarantine. For many, this meant leaving the comfort of four walls and getting active outside.

According to Abby Fusca, a personal trainer for University Recreation, getting outside and trying new ways to stay active is a great way to de-stress.

“Especially right now with everything being so chaotic, and everything being super uncertain in some areas, it’s really important to have some certainty still,” Fusca said. “Being able to schedule in that workout and having some sense of schedule, it really helps.”

Like many others, quarantine forced Fusca out of the gym and into the outdoors.

“Running, especially, has become a lot more common for me just because before the pandemic hit, I would do cardio in the form of swimming or I’d use the elliptical or the stationary bike,” Fusca said. “But now since the gyms are all closed and I don’t have that kind of equipment in my apartment, I’ve started running at the greenway or around campus.”

Emma Wright has also taken to exercising at Boone’s Greenway Trail in place of her normal gym routine.

“I think I did more stuff inside before, but then since coronavirus, I’ve been spending more time outside and going on walks and stuff, which I’ve really enjoyed,” said Wright, a sophomore.

Daniel Parker, who walks the greenway with his dog after work, said he doesn’t feel that gyms being closed has taken away from how he stays active.

“I used to go to the gym, but I’ve still been able to get out a lot and go biking and running and walking the dog,” Parker said. “So, it hasn’t changed too much, you know I kind of miss the gym, but I mean, I get plenty of workouts anyways.”

Others have turned to the internet to stay active while gyms are closed. Popular fitness Youtuber, Chloe Ting, gained almost 2 million subscribers between March and April with her virtual workout videos and fitness challenges.

University Recreation has followed a similar virtual format in an effort to continue providing students with fitness classes.

Limited fitness classes are being held on Sanford Mall, and weightlifting is available on the Student Recreation Center patio with a reservation.

Although some may have become discouraged from working out during quarantine, Fusca hopes that different kinds of exercise will help people jump back into physical activity.

“I would just encourage people to try out several different things like Youtube videos or online group fitness classes or swimming since the pool is open,” Fusca said. “Try new things to figure out what their kind of workout style is and what they want to do until the gyms are actually fully open again.”

News

Sept. 11, 2020

Student Government Association creates sustainable development committee Jake Markland | Reporter While other students were winding down from a semester rocked by COVID-19 this spring, App State’s Student Government Association honed in on goals for the 2020-21 academic year, despite a life-altering pandemic, and established a sustainable development committee.

The committee was created to broaden sustainability initiatives, replacing the environmental sustainability committee that was dissolved in the 2019-20 academic year.

Sam Gass, a sophomore, served as the interim chairman of the sustainable development committee leading up to elections and is now the official chairman. Gass said the com-

mittee will now be able to do more for the student body, university and town of Boone.

“Sustainability is a conjunction of social, economic and environmental issues,” said Gass, a sustainable development major. “So I wanted to create a more holistic committee that tackles more holistic issues.”

With elections completed, SGA Senators applied to committees after their Sept. 10 training and Senate Pro Tempore Jay Gibson will make assignments.

Gass hopes the committee will consist of students from different academic fields, collegiate years, races and genders. He looks forward to es-

tablishing goals and drafting legislation.

“This is not going to be a committee that just sits around,” Gass said.

Devin Mullins, SGA director of sustainability, believes the committee will spread its wings wider than SGA’s past projects because of its broader definition. For example, food insecurity.

“We can’t develop sustainably at App State, we can’t grow our numbers if we don’t have the capacity to feed people,” said Mullins, a junior.

Mullins said that App State, known for sustainability, has a responsibility to uphold that reputa-

tion. Mullins said App State students must be more intentional with their actions because Boone is still here for the people that already live here after students graduate.

“Responsibility, I think, is key,” Mullins said. “Too many people come to college, they’re just here for four years, they have no responsibility to the institution or the area they’re in and I think that’s wrong.”

Mullins said he wants students to be more engaged with two “big picture” points: a push for climate neutrality and academic integration of sustainable development courses.

Mullins believes that if App State is going to pride itself in its rep-

utation as a sustainable university, it shouldn’t contribute to the problem of climate neutrality, and more students should join the cause.

“We will be a much stronger voice if we have more people involved in that proces,” Mullins said.

Mullins also said he wants App State to capitalize on its reputation and implement sustainability courses into the general education requirements and all academic fields.

“Whenever we go out into the world and we have careers, what do we want people to think of when they find out we went to Appalachian State?” Mullins said.

App State welcomes upgraded residence halls to the mountain Mickey Hutchings | Managing Editor From an open window of Raven Rocks Residence Hall, the chorus of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” plucked from an electric guitar drifted into the courtyard below. There, university administrators and key collaborators on the construction of Raven Rocks and Thunder Hill residence halls gathered to cut the ceremonial completion ribbon Thursday.

“This is a great day for the campus,” Chancellor Sheri Everts said on the patio of Thunder Hill, just a short walk from Raven Rocks and across what was formerly known as Stadium Parking Lot before the new dorms were erected.

Just three weeks prior, the new halls became the college crash pads of hundreds of first-year, returning and transfer students. Raven Rocks and Thunder Hill can house 912 students combined, and are just the beginning to years of planning and months of construction coming to fruition on West Campus.

Students decorated the windows

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of the new, towering buildings with Post-it note messages broadcasting their Snapchat usernames or cracking jokes like, “So no head?”

“This building represents another tremendous milestone as we build infrastructure that supports and elevates Appalachian’s educational mission,” Everts said through her App State-emblazoned face mask.

Last year, Everts set a goal of en-

rolling 20,000 students by fall 2020, and the university hit that target, welcoming 20,023 students this semester.

The new dorms provide extra space for the influx of students.

Aside from providing more places for Mountaineers to sleep, study and congregate, the dorms are bringing the university into the future.

“These spaces have been designed to meet the needs of today’s

Chancellor Sheri Everts cuts the ribbon on Raven Rocks Residence Hall Sept. 3. Raven Rocks is one of two new dorms built on West Campus this year. Mickey Hutchings

students,” Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs J.J. Brown said.

Thunder Hill and Raven Rocks meet green-built certification standards and are equipped with smart thermostats. Brown highlighted the hard-wired, powerful WiFi installed in the dorms that can handle the internet and video conferencing-based learning the university has implemented in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to single bedrooms, the dorms feature suite- and apartment-style living, an upgrade from shared bathrooms and other communal spaces that students living in older dorms are accustomed to.

“When I was here in Justice (Residence Hall), you had a phone at the end of the hall and everyone shared it, but that’s not today,” UNC Board of Governors member and App State alumnus Philip Byers said. “Those buildings were meant for 40 years ago, and now we’re building them for the next 40.”

The residence halls are named

after popular overlooks on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just a few miles away from campus: Thunder Hill Overlook, known for its picturesque sunrise views with glimpses of the Charlotte skyline on clear days, and Raven Rocks Overlook for its breathtaking sunset scenes and sights of Grandfather Mountain.

“Naming our buildings and spaces after local geography, geology and biology helps our students build a stronger connection with our region,” Everts said. “Many of our students chose Appalachian in part because of our stunning location.”

Almost every building on campus is named after a person, like Anne Belk Hall and B.B. Dougherty Administration Building. Thunder Hill and Raven Rocks, however, are named after places.

Read more online at www.theappalachianonline.com

News

Sept. 11, 2020

AppVotes looks to inform voters on 2020 Election topics Abi Pepin | Senior Political Correspondent A team from Appalachian and the Community Together organization created a “one-stop shop” that is working to keep students and the community informed about voting in Watauga County.

Heather Jo Mashburn, associate director of ACT, said AppVotes, a nonpartisan website, gives students ac-

cess to necessary resources to register to vote, create a voting plan and learn about what is on the ballot.

“Our vision is to implement voter registration and education activities and increase student participation in local, state, and national voting and election initiatives this year and in future elections,” Mash-

burn said.

The AppVotes team wants to encourage students to vote with social distancing and other restrictions in mind.

Each month this fall, AppVotes will focus on different topics like voter registration, education, mobilization and census participation.

“The first step to ensuring your voice is heard at the polls is registering to vote,” said Em McLamb, graduate assistant for ACT. McLamb’s role with AppVotes is to help staff engage with campus and county organizations.

Of App State students who were eligible to vote in 2018, only about 70% were actually registered, McLamb said.

Macki Synder, assistant director for leadership and outreach for ACT said the two main focuses of AppVotes are education and voter mobilization.

“We are trying to increase the number of people who go to the polls by reducing barriers to voting,” Synder said.

In 2016, a barrier for many North Carolinians was the photo ID requirement.

According to the North Carolina Justice Center, laws that require a photo ID at the voting booth have been documented to harm voters with low incomes and specifically targets Black and Latinx, a person of Latin American origin or descent, voters.

Another topic AppVotes will provide information about is the census. Every 10 years, the census counts every resident in the United States to help determine how federal funding is distributed to states and communities.

“So many students were sent home right when the census went out,” Synder said. “We’re focusing on getting the census return rate to increase in Watauga County.”

As of Aug. 30, Watauga County has a return rate of 42.9%. The county is ranked 91 out of 100 counties in responses.

AppVotes is also pushing for a change in the demographics of poll workers.

“Most poll workers are over the age of 60 and have increased negative or severe consequences if they contract COVID-19,” Synder said. “There’s a big push

to recruit specifically-called students to work the polls because of the increase of an at-risk population.”

A 2018 survey by Pew Research Center found that 58% of poll workers are older than 60.

McLamb said by making information more accessible and consumable, AppVotes hopes students will feel empowered to vote and remain engaged in their community.

“Having democratic engagement become part of Appalachian’s culture is going to take a lot of work,” Synder said. “It will be most successful if we’re collaborative in those efforts.”

Early voting starts Oct. 15 and ends Oct. 31.

Students will have the option to early vote in the Blue Ridge Ballroom in the Plemmons Student Union.

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A&C

Sept. 11, 2020

PLAYLIST Reaching greater audiences OF THE WEEK Visiting Writers Series goes virtual Tucker Wulff

Associate A&C Editor

Ansley Puckett | Arts & Culture Editor

Fall is just around the corner and that means summer days are fading fast. Instead of kissing your summer goodbye with sorrow, get the most out of the beautiful weather and golden rays by living it up with our “Final Days of Summer” playlist! We have included 12 songs perfect for a day at the beach with a cold drink, even if you have to close your eyes and pretend Sanford Mall is your beach.

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Tucker Wulff | Associate A&C Editor The fall 2020 season of the Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series will look a bit different than previous semesters. This fall, it’s composed of four prerecorded virtual events.

The series’ committee will bring this season to audiences virtually after ending its display early during the spring semester due to the pandemic, said Susan Weinberg, co-director of the Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series.

The committee hoped to host in-person events this semester but there was “just too much uncertainty,” Weinberg said.

“We decided rather than planning one thing and making a big shift, because we all had that experience last spring scrambling to do things differently, we would just plan from the beginning to make it a virtual series,” Weinberg said.

In the past, the series has drawn an audience of roughly 60 to 80 people in person, Weinberg said. Now, the committee thinks the events will be more accessible, thus drawing an even larger audience.

After each event is released online, it will be available for access through Dec. 15.

Not only will more students from a larger variety of courses be accessing the series, Weinberg said, but also people unaffiliated with App State will be able to watch.

“Our outside audience can expand,” Weinberg said. “We’re not limited geographically.”

Mark Powell, co-director alongside Weingberg, wrote in an email that he hopes the virtual series will “prove to be an even more intimate experience.”

“To have a writer ‘in’ your living room or dorm

room makes a reading particularly memorable,” Powell said.

Furthermore, the committee thinks the pre-recorded virtual sessions will be a more polished product than that of a live Zoom meeting, Weinberg said.

“We’re English people, we’re not technical people,” Weinberg said. “So, we just wanted to do something that was pretty controlled.”

Though the series’ switch to virtual may provide access to more viewers and a polished product, audiences will lose the ability to connect with writers through question and answer as was offered in past events.

Poet Jacinta White, the first visiting writer in the fall 2020 season, said she misses interaction with her readers in a largely virtual world.

“When you come out with a book, you want to talk about it,” White said. “You want people to ask questions or to say what they thought of when they read something.”

Though White’s reading and craft talk are now prerecorded, she is grateful for the opportunity and hopes people will still reach out and provide her with feedback, she said.

“I do consider it an honor,” White said. “I think it’s important to provide for students and community, access to a variety of writers so that they are reminded what the potential is and beyond for their own journey.”

The Visiting Writers Series will release White’s reading and craft talk on their website at 12 p.m. Sept. 17, and the series will culminate with poet Nickole Brown’s virtual event Oct. 22. A preview of White’s event is available now at https:// english.appstate.edu/visitingwriters-series Poet Jacinta White is the first visiting writer in the fall 2020 series. White is the author of “Resurrecting the Bones: Born from a Journey through African American Churches & Cemeteries in the Rural South” Courtesy of Kristen Bryant.

A&C

Sept. 11, 2020

APPS takes entertainment online, brings free events to students David Brashier | Reporter The Appalachian Popular Programming Society is bringing campus concerts to virtual platforms in an effort to keep students entertained and foster community despite COVID-19 social gathering restrictions.

“It’s confusing now because a lot of people are either doing virtual concerts or they aren’t, so it’s kind of a new phase that people don’t really know how to do,” said Allie Tarry, APPS main stage councilperson.

APPS kicked off the fall 2020 semester with a variety of programming for Welcome Week in August, including Q&A webinars with prominent activists, spoken word poetry over Zoom and the headliner event, a virtual concert from rapper Denzel Curry.

For the first virtual concert of the year, APPS’ main stage Council wanted to feature an act relevant to the current political climate, especially given its relevance on App State’s campus, said Tarry.

Citing recent demands by #BlackAtAppState for increased university programming for the wellbeing of Black and brown students, Tarry said she and her council searched for an entertainer who is outspoken on such issues, which led them to reach out to Curry.

While APPS has been forced to optimize their events for virtual platforms, this hasn’t stopped them from striving to fulfill their vision to “establish transformational experiences and a deep sense of belonging to all Appalachian students.”

“We’re trying to find ways to do virtual programming while still making connections with people,” said Emily Gottlieb, APPS club shows councilperson. “Some of the more low-key events that we’ve had, such as Drag Queen Bingo with Alexis Michelle, are very interactive, and students are more in-

Before the coronavirus, APPS events, like Appalfest, drew crowds of hundreds. Now, the organization is adjusting to the world of virtual event planning.

Courtesy of Camryn Collier

clined to go if there’s going to be some form of interaction.”

Though some may see it as a drawback, Tarry and Gottlieb say the new online platform allows for an expanded range of high-profile acts.

Concerts on Zoom take out the additional travel costs for a performer to come to Boone. Plus, because acts can perform from their own homes, the logistics of putting on a concert are more accessible than before.

Zoom events have been well-received by students thus far, according to Gottlieb. The major drawback is that APPS doesn’t charge students for tickets to the events because of the limitations of virtual concerts. Thus,

none of the programming this semester is paid for.

Without the budget for paid-for acts or the advertising campaigns that come with them, there are fewer in attendance on Zoom than there are in-person.

Despite the nontraditional virtual platform and lower turnout, those who attend find these events worthwhile.

“Obviously, there’s a different vibe for a virtual concert compared to an in-person one, but Denzel was great to watch,” said Will Strickland, an App State graduate who attended the virtual Denzel Curry concert. “I love Denzel. You could tell it was an unusual setting for him, but he still made it really fun.”

...it’s kind of a new phase that people don’t really know how to do...

This creative brainstorming for virtual events did not come without great disappointment for APPS, initially.

During the spring 2020 semester, APPS’ concert councils were gearing up for Boonebox, which would have been App State’s largest concert festival to date. Shortly after the pandemic arrived in the U.S., they had to cancel the event.

“I was definitely nervous when (the pandemic) arrived in Seattle in February,” said Alex Brody, the former main stage councilperson for APPS. “Right before they shut everything down, I got an email a day or two before from my adviser saying, ‘They’re shutting everything down, Boonebox is through.’”

For Brody, who oversaw festival production, Boonebox was going to be his magnum opus, capping off his two-year career in APPS. Tarry, Brody’s successor, took over as main stage councilperson at the end of the spring semester and began brainstorming potential alternatives to in-person concerts for the fall.

“Ally took over planning the Denzel Curry concert, and that was the brainchild of post-Boonebox,” said Brody.

Gottlieb and the Club Shows Council made up for lost programming at the end of the spring semester by hosting virtual concerts featuring mostly local acts from the Boone area.

According to Brody, Boonebox isn’t dead yet. Post-pandemic, App State students can hopefully look forward to another festival, one bigger and better than the one originally planned.

More virtual concerts are planned for the remainder of the fall semester, though Tarry and Gottlieb declined to comment on any confirmed acts.

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“Family is a little different” App State football parents push to attend home games despite crowd restrictions Cameron Burnett | Reporter Kevin Garrison thought he’d get to see his son, Cole, an App State offensive lineman, play every game of his senior year. But COVID-19 is creating barriers to family members attending games.

App State Athletic Director Doug Gillin announced that there would be no fans at sporting events through at least September after Gov. Roy Cooper’s decision to move to Phase 2.5, in which large groups are still limited.

“Family is a little different,” said Garrison. “We can be around our kids and all that but we can’t be at their game.”

Many parents of App State football players have voiced feel-ings of frustration on social me-dia, especially on Twitter, in an at-tempt to see their kids on the field in-person. Gillin’s decision will ex-tend through two home games, the opener against Charlotte and in Week 3 against Campbell.

“As a parent of a senior college football player in NC, I should be able to watch my son play if I choose to in-person. I can wear a mask and practice social distancing in a college stadium.” Chad Hannon, father of senior offensive lineman Noah Hannon, said in a tweet.

Every parent’s situation is different, but many say they should

have the opportunity to go to the games while maintaining social distancing and wearing a mask. This may be some players’ first game of their college career or first game as a senior, and parents don’t want to miss seeing these moments in-person because they can’t get them back.

“There’s probably 250, 300 parents, so I would think we could spread out pretty easy over the stadium,” Garrison said.

Players have voiced their opinions on the situation, including senior wide receiver Thomas Hennigan.

“For many of us, this will be the last chances to play the game we love and want nothing more than to be able to showcase what we can do live in front of our families, friends, and alumni,” Hennigan wrote in a tweet.

Under the current guidelines, people are allowed to practice social distancing in large groups at places like grocery stores and restaurants, but sporting events are still not permitted to have fans in North Carolina.

“I just find it hard that you can go into a Walmart or somewhere like that with seven, eight-hundred people in there and you can’t be outside at a football game and watch your own kid,” Garrison

App State players celebrate with fans after last year’s win over UNC. Despite a push for the families of players to be allowed, Kidd Brewer Stadium will be empty for at least the Sept. 12 opener against Charlotte.

Lynette Files

said.

Under current guidelines set by Cooper, smaller gatherings are allowed and stores are still open for large groups of people but sporting events still can’t have an abundance of fans.

It’s because of safety precautions that parents and fans aren’t going to be at the first two home games, but families believe they can stay safe by following guidelines in the stadium. It’s a risk some are willing to

take to see their children play football.

“I feel like every parent has the right to be there for their kids, whether it’s their first game or their last game,” Garrison said.

The Kidd Brewer Stadium stands will be without fans as the Mountaineers open their season against Charlotte Sept. 12.

"A natural born leader:"

Elijah Diarrassouba

Dan Davidson | Associate Sports Editor

A

s the 2020 football season approaches, uncertainty clouds all of college football. Conferences have canceled seasons, games will be played in empty stadiums, and many players have opted out of the season altogether. Amid the mad-ness, one constant remains in the App State lock-er room: the leadership of Elijah Diarrassouba.

“Soub’s a leader, a natural born leader,” said Shemar Jean-Charles, senior cornerback and fellow team captain. “Yeah, we were all voted team captains, but at the end of the day, Soub’s been a captain even before he was voted a captain.”

One of six team captains, Diarrassouba is an integral part of the Mountaineer defense. The Greensboro native has appeared in 37 games and started on the defensive line since his sophomore year. “[Being a team captain] is a great feeling, es-pecially being voted by your peers,” Diarrassouba said. “It shows they’re looking up to you.”

As a junior, he totaled 20 tackles on the season and 15 the year prior. His 1.5 sacks in 2019 helped the Mountaineers earn a top 25 nation-al ranking in points allowed per game and over-all sacks.

Despite high rankings in many defensive sta-tistics, Diarrassouba and his defensive line team-mates are often outmatched physically.

“If you look on paper, we’re not the biggest guys, we’re not the tallest, we’re not the heaviest, and our competition every week is twice as big as us,” Diarrassouba said. “That brings us togeth-er because we all know that we’re the underdogs in most cases. When you come together like that, you’re unstoppable on the field.”

More than his stellar play, it’s Diarrassouba’s leadership that has impacted his teammates and contributed to the massive recent success of the program. Teammates look to him for answers and leadership and he consistently leads them.

“When Soub speaks, everybody listens because he has such a powerful voice. He doesn’t talk in front of the team a lot, but when he does, it’s something important,” senior captain and

defensive lineman Demetrius Taylor said. “To hear him speak on certain things, everybody listens.”

Diarrassouba’s work ethic is evident not only in his production on the football field, but his success in the classroom. In 2019, he made the university’s academic honor roll.

“That’s a guy you want to run a locker room. You know he’s going to be successful on and off the field,” Jean-Charles said. “He’s a special person and has a lot of success coming his way in the future.”

Just as he shows up for his team on the field, Diarrassouba leads them off of it. In the recent peaceful protest led by the Mountaineer football team, he took the lead on speaking at the event.

“I don’t have hate toward nobody, because my mama always told me, ‘One day it’s going to get better if you stand for what you believe in, and don’t (ever) let nobody change that about you.’

That’s the reason why I do what I do. That’s it, it’s not political,” Diarrassouba said at the protest.

To many who wear the Black and Gold, ‘Soub’s care and leadership have led him to become much more than a teammate. He’s a friend.

“That’s been my best friend since freshman year and our relationship is going to go past here at Appalachian,” Jean-Charles said. “We’re going to be best friends until the day we’re both six feet under.”

As his senior season is set to kickoff against Charlotte, Diarrassouba is determined to start the year with a win and redeem the defensive performance in last year’s matchup with the 49ers.

“We’re all in the same state, not too far from each other. It’s kind of like the battle of the state,” Diarrassouba said. “I consider it a pretty good rivalry. I look forward to it.”

"When Soub speaks, everybody listens"

Elijah Diarrassouba is a leader for App State football on and off the field. He helped organize a protest against racial injustice the team led through Boone Aug. 28.

Andy McLean

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QB1

Heading into his 2020 senior season, Quarterback Zac Thomas holds a 23-3 career record since being named QB1 before the Penn State season opener in 2018. Pictured: Thomas takes the field before App State’s game vs.

Coastal Carolina on Sept. 28 last season.

Megan McCulloh

Thomas leads App State into 2020 season

Silas Albright | Sports Editor

Since being named App State’s starting quarterback before the 2018 opener at No. 10 Penn State, senior Zac Thomas has very rarely experienced losing. He’s won 23 games for the Mountaineers and lost just three.

“Zac’s a guy who, no matter what, I’m glad that we have him as our quarterback on Saturdays,” senior captain and wide receiver Thomas Hennigan said. “That guy is just a natural-born competitor.”

One near-upset in front of over 100,000 fans at No. 10 Penn State in his first collegiate start. One loss after playing just three snaps against Georgia Southern in 2018.

One 24-21 loss to Georgia Southern in 2019. That’s a complete list of Thomas’ college losses.

Head coach Shawn Clark said Thomas looked a lit-tle shaky in practice leading up to the Penn State game and that the coaching staff was prepared for a backup plan if he didn’t do well.

“Once he got hit a few times and settled into his role as the leader of our offense, he’s taken his game, year in and year out, to another level,” Clark said. “I can’t say enough good things about him.”

Thomas went on to account for over 300 yards of offense and three touchdowns in that first game against Penn State, dueling with then-Heisman hopeful quarterback Trace McSorely on his home turf.

App State fans were excited for the future after seeing Thomas’ performance in such a high-stakes first career start.

The early excitement behind Thomas was justified when he was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year in 2018 after helping the Mountaineers to their third straight conference title and fourth straight bowl win.

In the two seasons Thomas has been App State’s QB1, the Mountaineers have elevated the program to heights previously unreached.

Last year, App State became the first FBS team from North Carolina to record a 13-win season. The Mountaineers also earned the Sun Belt conference’s highest ranking ever when they came in at No. 20 in the AP Poll after starting the season 7-0. App State finished the year at No. 18 in the Amway Coaches Poll after the New Orleans Bowl win over UAB. Thomas, one of six captains in 2020, is roommates with a couple of other App State captains and senior leaders in Hennigan and center Noah Hannon.

Hannon explained that it’s easier to go harder for your teammates on the field when you develop close relationships with them outside of football, like how he is with Hennigan and other members of the team.

“I know that Zac’s going to give me his best every play and he knows I’m going to give him my best every play,” Hannon said. “To go out there and get to have fun with your

best friends, it just makes it a lot better time.”

Thomas is clearly an important leader for the Mountaineers, but he isn’t always as vocal or outgoing as some of his teammates.

“Zac is a great kid, a little bit quiet until you get to know him,” offensive coordinator Tony Petersen said. “He’s not going to let you in too quick, which I totally understand.”

Hennigan agreed that Thomas often keeps to him-self and goes about his business, but pointed out that he is a great leader and communicator despite not being the loudest guy in the locker room.

“He leads by example, and I think I’d rather have that from my quarterback, rather than someone who’s dancing or singing around all the time,” Hennigan said.

“People need to understand that Zac is vocal, but it’s not the ‘loud’ type of vocal... (He’s) very good at communicating with me as a receiver, and the O-line, and the coaches I know really enjoy having him as a quarterback.”

Mountaineer faithful across App Nation love and appreciate Thomas for what he’s helped the program accomplish. But his teammates and coaches are just as appreciative, if not more, for their reliable QB1.

“Without a doubt, he’s a winner, and a fierce competitor,” Hennigan said. “I’m just so blessed to have a quarterback who fights like that on Saturdays.”

Four out of five starters on App State’s offensive line were named to 2020 preseason all-Sun Belt teams. The line is anchored in the middle by four-year starting center Noah Hannon.

Moss Brennan

App State offense anchored by experienced O-line Joey Magnani | Reporter App State’s offensive line is an experienced group that will look to live up to lofty expectations in the 2020 season. Four of its five starters received preseason all-Sun Belt honors in Baer Hunter, Ryan Neuzil, Cooper Hodges, and recently named captain Noah Hannon.

“You show me a good football team, and I’ll show you a good offensive line,” said head coach and former App State o-lineman Shawn Clark.

Filling the shoes of the 4-year starter, 3-time All-Sun Belt selection Victor Johnson at left tackle will either be sophomore Anderson Hardy, or senior Cole Garrison; both of whom saw time last season. If Garrison wins the competition, he will join three other seniors on the offensive line with Hodges being the only underclassman.

Hardy put in extra work during quarantine to improve his skill set and received high praise from his teammates in return. He even took the time to call many of them and ask for things that he could be doing to get better and take his game to the next

level.

The left tackle competition is one that will carry over into the first couple of weeks with both players seeing snaps, but Clark does not believe that it will hold the team back.

He said the good thing about the program is that they have an identity and they know what needs to be done on both sides of the ball.

Regardless of who wins the position, the other starters have confidence that they can get the job done.

“Something that coach Clark preached when he was the o-line coach was the fact that competition breeds success,” Hannon said.

He also mentioned that having a lot of players with experience gives them an advantage, but the quarantine provided them with more opportunity from a leadership standpoint to get the underclassmen properly prepared.

Hannon is looking forward to embracing his role as a leader in the offense.

“It is my responsibility as the center to set the protection and put us in position to be successful,”

he said.

His coaches described him as a vocal leader and great communicator who pushes his teammates in order to get the best out of them.

This unit will be coached by title-winning App State alum Nic Cardwell, who is making his return to the program after following coach Satterfield to Louisville in 2019. This will be Cardwell’s eighth season in total as a member of App State’s coaching staff, on top of his playing career for the Mountaineers from 2004-07. Fortunately for him, he has a group of talented players with years of experience playing together.

“It’s awesome to step into the position and already have proven guys. This is an exciting group of guys to coach,” Cardwell said.

He talked about how important it is to have chemistry up front, and how proud he is of every player across the board for stepping up over the past few weeks as they prepare for the season.

Clark voiced his confidence in Cardwell saying that he is a “great coach” who knows what needs to be done in order to be successful.

...This is an exciting group of guys to coach...

Shaun Jolly

looks to build on breakout 2019 season

Connor Davidson | Associate Multimedia Editor

Coming into the 2019 App State football season, cornerback Shaun Jolly was not on many radars. In 2018, Jolly only made one tackle the entire season and most of his playing time was on special teams.

Jolly flipped the script in 2019 and quickly became one of the best cornerbacks in the nation. He scored an overall grade of 91.7, good enough to tie LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. for No. 1 in the nation.

During the season, Jolly was responsible for 45 total tackles and five interceptions, and tied for first place nationally with two interceptions returned for touchdowns. Jolly credits his success to good preparation and family motivation.

“It starts in the offseason as all football players know. If you have a good offseason it leads to a good season,” Jolly said. “It originally starts with my dad.

He challenges me everyday to do something I haven’t done before. He always challenges me to be better than I was the previous day.”

Jolly, now a junior, has gained national attention heading into the 2020 season. He has been named to six different preseason All-American teams and also finds himself on preseason watch lists for the Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award, which are given to the nation’s best defensive player. Despite these high honors, Jolly isn’t letting anything go to his head.

Junior cornerback Shaun Jolly caught five interceptions in his breakout 2019 season. Now heading into 2020, Jolly has been named to six different preseason All-American teams.

Courtesy of App State Athletics

“I look past it. I always knew what I could do, I was always the underdog,” Jolly said. “I appreciate the recognition because I’m finally getting the recognition that I feel that I deserve, but I’m still looking at it as if I’m the underdog.”

In January, App State hired James Rowe as its new cornerbacks coach. As soon as he saw Jolly take the field, it didn’t take long before he realized the talent he had in front of him.

“He was dealing with a soft tissue injury when I first got here, and then once he got out there and got rolling, obviously the talent was evident and he’s a good kid who wants to be great at his craft,” Rowe said.

Prior to coaching at App State, Rowe was an assistant defensive backs coach in the NFL for Washington. After working with players on the professional level, Rowe can see Jolly taking his game to the next level.

“He’s very instinctual, really good hands, processes information quick,” Rowe said. “He’s very professional in the way he goes about his business as far as a football player, and that reminds me of the better players we had at Washington.”

As he has progressed, Jolly’s role with the team has changed. He has taken on more of a leadership role among his teammates, and his expectations for himself reflect that.

“I’m just continuing to make plays and being the best teammate I can be,” Jolly said. “I’m just trying to be more of a leader and an old head that some of these younger guys can look up to.”

Even though Jolly has made a lot of progress on his game over the last few years, there is another facet of the game that he has worked on to elevate his level of play to the next level.

“Really where he’s trying to improve his game is really learning how to study his opponent, try to win in the classroom and try to add whatever it takes above the neck to take that thing to the next level where it isn’t just physical,” Rowe said. “He has a lot of physical tools, very fluid athlete, great ball skills, but just taking it to the next level mentally is really where I’ve seen him make strides.”

After a breakout season in 2019, Jolly now has high expectations from people across the nation. With the new season creeping closer, Jolly will get the opportunity to prove whether or not the hype surrounding him coming in this season was well-deserved.

App State DC Dale Jones back in Boone for 24th season Cameron Burnett | Reporter Defensive coordinator Dale Jones has been part of the App State community for a long time and returned to App State’s staff after spending 2019 with Louisville under former App State head coach Scott Satterfield.

Jones accepted Shawn Clark’s offer in January to return to Boone as the defensive coordinator for 2020.

“This is definitely home for me, I spent 23 years here and I have the opportunity to come back and finish my career here. I’m excited about it, I’m excited about the team, the kids, and how hard they’re working,” Jones said.

The Mountaineers’ family mindset and the App State community helped make Boone home for Jones. For him, foot-ball isn’t the only reason he stayed with App State for decades.

“I think the biggest thing is just being back in the community. I feel like it’s home.

The place that you work and it’s the place you want to live, it’s the place you want to have a family. Life’s better and I think that’s the biggest key,” Jones said.

Jones has mainly been a linebacker coach in his time with the Mountaineers, and has taken pride in being a mentor for the position he formerly played. He was a two-time All-SEC linebacker during his college career at The University of Tennessee.

When Jones returned from his year at Louisville, those players he mentored in 2018 had become leaders in the locker room, specifically junior linebackers Trey Cobb and D’Marco Jackson.

“It’s awesome to watch those two, how they’ve developed and now they’re not just players, they’re leaders,” Jones said. “That part of it, it’s always fun to see a young guy

play early and see how he develops as a leader, his skills, and just the whole part of it, of taking in young guys.

Now instead of somebody putting them under their wing, they’re doing the same thing.”

This is the type of development that Jones has tried to implement in the program and it’s part of what keeps him coming back and being a part of the team year after year.

When Jones was a coach for those first 23 years at App State, he was always a positional coach. Now as the defensive coordinator, he doesn’t see it as much of a difference and believes the whole staff is important. He says that’s what makes this staff as successful as they are at helping their team win.

“One thing that’s been great about Appalachian State is that we all do this together. Every coach that I have has a big part in putting our game plan together...We’re all on the same page, we’re equal, the difference is I’m making the call,” Jones said. “It takes a group effort and it’s been fun because we’ve been able to bring back our defense we had two years ago and I think in a lot of ways that we’ve made it even better with the ideals that the other coaches have.”

Jones plans to finish his career at App State and is excited to get back on the field and help the team push forward.

“It’s been fun, it’s just awesome. I love this place, it’s my life and it’ll always be.” Jones said.

...I love this place, it’s my life and it’ll always be...

Opinion

Sept. 11, 2020

Humans are not born violent

Jean Holman | Opinion Writer

We are not born violent. Outside factors depict who we become. Like John Locke theorized, we are born with a “blank slate.” Some scientists propose that humans are innately violent.

For example, David Carrier hypothesized that human hands evolved for us to be better fighters. However, there is evidence from other anthropologists, like Douglas Fry, proving that humans can make peace without resorting to violence.

Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closest relatives. Some scientists argue that humans, especially males, are inherently violent like chimpanzees. While male chimps fight for territory and females, bonobos tend to be more peaceful and share meat.

Bonobos are female-dominated troops, so males may be less violent due to reduced competition for mating. It seems most violence from chimps stems from competition for limited resources.

One study showed that bonobos are kind and generous to those outside of their groups. Behavior like this is not typically seen in chimps, who are aggressive to outsiders, while bonobos are usually not. Humans are more like bonobos than chimps: they want to collaborate and make peace with one another. In society today, most developed countries no longer need to fight for resources. Instead, we work together through trade and peace treaties.

The environment shapes our nature. For example, Brad Bushman and L. Huesmann studied how violence in mass media

affects adults and children. They found that children will experience long-term effects of aggression because they mimic their environment. They explained that through classical conditioning, “a child may then react with inappropriate fear or anger in a novel situation that is similar to one that the child has observed in the media.” Adults may experience long-term effects of violence depending on their past exposure to aggression.

Viewing violence in mass media desensitizes us to it. We become less sympathetic to others and more antisocial. People are not innately violent: what we learn and observe can make us violent.

What we experience and learn makes us who we are. People become violent, angry, and fearful because of what they see in mass media and real situations. One literature review on how child abuse affects a child’s behavior revealed that “physically abused children have structural brain changes…” proving that outside factors shape our minds. Children who were abused tend to show the following signs: fighting with others, suicidal thoughts, poor grades, anxiety, depression, high probability to commit crimes such as underage drinking, drug use, etc. This means that our experiences help determine our behavior. Children who were abused may be more violent or rebellious because of their upbringing, not because they were born with a violent

nature.

Some scientists also argue that genetics help determine our behavior. For example, genetics shape our personalities, and in some cases, affect our behaviors and attitudes. However, as we have different experiences over time, our personalities may change. Why? Because outside influences affect our behavior.

Brent Roberts and Daniel Mroczek studied the changes in personalities from youth to adulthood. They explained that our personalities usually change as we grow older. For instance, someone who was an introverted teen may become more extroverted as they get older depending on their experiences.

In one experiment, scientists studied 3-month-old infants’ reactions to two different scenarios: one with a “Climber” trying to reach the top of a hill where a “Helper” pushed them up or a “Hinderer” pushed them down the hill, and the other control scenario with inanimate objects. Results showed that 10 out of 12 children valued the Helper while five out of 12 liked the Pusher-Upper inanimate object. The research proved that infants can interpret positive social cues and motivations, such as the Helper guiding the Climber up the hill.

The way we are raised and what we experience shapes us.

We mimic our environment; if we see violence, we may become violent and reflect negative emotions.

Human’s nature is violent

Caleb Gerbuio | Opinion Editor

Be it resolved, human nature is violent. Violence is everywhere in 2020. From police killings to partisan extremism violence is unavoidable. No matter what, violence follows humans everywhere because that’s how we are wired. Prehistoric humans drove animals extinct in Eurasia and the Americas are currently spearheading a sixth mass extinction. Yet, this trait is not uniquely human. Our closest living relatives, the chimpanzees, also overhunt. Between 1975 to 2009, chimpanzee hunts resulted in the red colobus monkey population declining by 89%. Yet, humans and chimps don’t hurt other species, but members of our own.

History is filled with death, violence and destruction. However, evidence suggests human violence is a recent phenomenon because neolithic and paleolithic groups coexisted peacefully. However, murderous humans conquered these people and established new systems. How could this happen? Evolution through natural selection proposed in “On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin. Cultures that successfully conquered other groups valued strength. People that exhibited these traits passed their genes to the next generation, reducing the instance of passive traits. Even peaceful societies are not exempt from using violence. Moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues in “Righteous Mind” that peaceful societies can use violence to maintain peace. People that do not adhere to group values are removed and are not able to pass on their genes.

Violence among group members is known as intragroup aggression, however, humans also commit violent acts against other groups. In World War II alone, 85 million people died and tragically intergroup violence did not stop there.Some researchers ar-

gue it is the scarcity of resources that causes violence. When your group is pressured into survival and needs resources, it is forced to do the unthinkable to survive.

In one study, Muzafer Sherif studied the behavior of 12-yearold boys to determine their response. The boys shared demographics and were divided into two rival groups. Sherif organized “competitions” for the two groups to participate in, which resulted in overt prejudice from one group to another. As the competitions progressed, prejudice grew worse. One group ransacked the other group’s cabin, stealing valuables, while the other group burned their opposition’s flag. Soon, violence ensued and the researchers had to stop the two groups from getting physical. At the end of the study, researchers asked the group of boys to give a post evaluation of their experience. The boys listed positive traits for their group, while negative traits for the other. Because neither group was starved and resorted to unethical behavior towards other groups, they reject the theory that groups are violent when resources are scarce.

Sherif ’s findings are consistent with behaviors observed in our simian friends, the chimpanzee and bonobo. Primatologist Jane Goodall discovered a period known as the Gombe Chimpanzee War where two groups of once-friendly chimps split and began viciously attacking each other. Bonobos, our other closely related cousin, also display intergroup aggression. Researchers found that social cohesion increases within the troops when attacking other groups. While violence is not uniquely human, it is interesting to note that our closest living relatives are known for their violence.

Still not convinced humans are violent? Look at our hands. Researchers found that a fist is more effective for maximizing pain than

a palm strike. One could argue that fists also enable us to hunt and gather more efficiently by being able to grip a tool or pick more food. However, having an open palm shouldn’t prohibit you from scooping berries off the ground. This means that a fist’s only other function could be to use tools more effectively. What were tools used for? Hunting. What is hunting? Killing. Therefore, our ability to make fists makes us better killers, and through sexual selection humans that could form a closed fist passed on their genes to subsequent generations.

While there are cultures that frown upon violence and practice pacifism, these cultures are kept intact through removing people that don’t adhere to these norms. Thus, they are not actually peaceful towards difference. Yes, there are pacifist human groups, such as some groups found in Papua New Guinea. These groups will avoid direct confrontation and flee versus fight. Yet, they are often smaller and are not indicative of humans as a whole since most groups use violence to maintain cohesion.. Furthermore, peaceful groups are at a disadvantage when compared to aggressive groups because those groups have no qualms about violence.

Human imperfection is not a new concept. North African philosopher Saint Augustine wrote about it in ancient Rome. In his masterpiece, “The City of God,” Augustine coins the phrase peccatum originalis or original sin. Augustine argued that our nature is flawed because we rebelled against goodness’ true form. No matter what we do or what we try, we will fail to have peace because our nature is flawed. Humans are wired to put group survival first and that means removing anything that challenges group survival.

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Et Cetera Zapples

Sept. 11, 2020

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